Crate-body for wagons.



No. 855,721. PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907.

J. 0. MOORE & J. I. JOHNSON. CRATE BODY PORWAGONS.

2 SHEETS SHEET 1- l7//I r v 1 I l A A I A 353 I 1 PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907. J. 0. MOORE &.J. 1. JOHNSON.

CRATE BODY FOR WAGONS. APPLICATION 2mm 311115, 1906.

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JOHN O. MOORE AND JOHN IRA JOHNSON, OF OUQLVERTON, GEORGIA.

CRATE-BODY FOR WAGONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed July 5,1906. Serial No. 324,815.

To (LZZ whont it ntay concern:

Be it known that we, JoHN O. JOHN IRA JoHNsoN, citizens of the United States, both residing at Culverton, in the county of Hancock and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crate-Bodies for W'agons; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters cnce marked thereon.

The object of this invention is to provide a crate for use on wagons and vehicles and particularly designed for carrying baskets of fruit from the orchard to the shipping place or market, as the case may be, without danger of injuring the contents of the baskets either in quality or appearance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wagon crate which may itself be shipped from the factory in knock down form and easily set up by the purchaser or user without the employment of special fittings or tools and when so set up will possess the strength and rigidity of a wagon body but having a greater capacity.

The invention consists in certain novel details of construction and. combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter described and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crate embodying the present improvements, the doors in the partition or intermediate deck being shown open in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a section taken in the vertical plane transversely of the crate. Fig. 3 is an end elevation and Fig. 4 a side elevation of the same.

Like letters of reference in the several fi ures indicate the same parts.

The bottom or carry log of the crate, which corresponds to a bottom of the wagon body, and in fact, which may be formed by dinary platform at present used in some instances on a wagon running gear, is indicated by the letter A in the accompanying drawings, and it will be understood that when this portion of the crate constitutes a part to be manufactured and sold with the crate, it is made of a size to fit the running gear of the wagons on which the crate is to be used. Thus it is intended that in manufacturing the crates the bottoms or carry logs shall be MOORE and of referthe ori I vertical strips D made of a width and length to fit standard running gears and for either one or two horse wagons.

At each side, the bottom or carry log is provided with stake straps or irons B adapted for the reception of lower ends of upwardly extending stakes O preferably three or four in number on each side, said stakes being united to and forming an integral part of the sides of the crate. The other members of the sides of the crate, consist of longitudinal strips D, preferably three in number, and spaced somewhat widely, the bottom and top strips being preferably designed to form a beareragainst which the lower portions of the baskets carried by the crate will contact to hold the baskets in position. The front and rear ends of the crate are formed of vertical strips D corresponding to the stakes B, save that they do not extend below the top of the carry log and said are connected to and form an integral structure with the horizontal strips E which correspond in location and function with the strips O forming the sides of the crate. The ends of the crate formed as thus described, are preferably confined between the sides, but are held in place by clips or straps F passing around the corners of the crate at top and bottom as shown clearly in Fig. 1 and united to the verticals by separable fastenings such as the screws or bolts illustrate( Inasmuch as the stakes at the side should be located a short distance from the ends of the horizontal strips, it is desirable that filling pieces G be employed beneath the clips or corner straps both for the sake of strength and appearance as well as to afford a solid rigid corner at those portions of the crate most liable to contact with other objects.

An intermediate partition or deck is lo cated in the crate at a suflicient height there in to accommodate one tier of baskets of fruit below the same and to itself constitute a support for the second orupper tier of baskets of fruit. Said partition or intermediate deck is provided with upwardly opening doors or grates which will permit of the placing or removal of the lower tier of baskets to facilitate the loading and unloading of the crate.

In the preferred construction, the partition or deck is preferably formed of cross pieces or supporting timbers H adapted to rest at their ends on the intermediate horiinjury by zontal strips of the sides of the crate, such the stakes, although it is designed thatthe cross pieces or timbers being located in the crates shall be made with the stakes in transverse plane of the stakes whereby the proper position to fit standard arrangements weight will be transmitted directly to said of carry irons and hence no adjustment of 5 stakes and thence to the carry log and runsaid carry irons will ordinarily be found to be ning gear. The transverse timbers or sup- I necessary. ports H are connected adjacent their ends by By the use of the partition, the capacity of longitudinal strips I, preferably one at each a Wagon as now used is practically doubled, side of the crate, and the doors or grates K and at the same time, provision is made 10 are hinged to the said longitudinal strips I in whereby when necessary, the said partition position to turn up toward the sides of the or deck may be removed and the crate then crate as shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 used for handling ordinary farm produce in and 2, or to rest when in horizontal position barrels or loose as the case may be. on the timbers H. In this preferred con- Having thus described our invention, what I 5 struction, and in order to afford additional we claim as new and desire to secure Letters strength and rigidity, the partition or deck is Patent thereon, is provided with down turned hooks'or L-irons 1. In a wagon crate, the combination with M adapted to fit into clips or strap irons M the sides formed of vertical stakes adapted secured to the vertical stakes of the sides of to enter stake irons at their lower ends and 2 the crate. The connection thus formed, while horizontal strips rigidly connecting said it will permit of the partition being moved stakes, ends formed of vertical supports and vertically, prevents any spreading of the horizontal strips rigidly connected thereto sides of the crate and well adapts the same and clips connecting said sides and ends at for use in handling loads liable to shift or the corners to form a rectangular body, of a 2 5 spread transversely. horizontal partition or deck mounted in said In manufacturing crates in accordance crate and removably connected to the vertiwith this invention, it is designed that the cals at an intermediate point, said. deck emsides, ends and partition or deck shall be bodying in its construction a central cross completed. separately and shipped knocked piece adapted to rest at its ends on the in 3 down with the several parts bound together termediate horizontal strip of the sides and in a flat package. The purchaser or user is having upwardly opening doors adapted l required to secure the corners together by the when closed to be supported intermediate corner straps or clips and to mount the same their ends by said central cross piece.

in position on a running gear in order to 2. In a wagon crate, the combination with 3 5 make the device completely available. the sides and ends formed respectively of ver- In use, thelower tier of baskets is first ticals supporting horizontal strips, said sides placed in position, the doors or grates closed and ends being connected together at the down over the same and then the upper tier corners, of a horizontal partition mounted 1n of baskets is placed upon the partition formed. i said crate at an intermediate point and con- 4 in part by the said doors or grates. It will nected with the sides of the crate by hook be noted that by the use of the intermediate like connections, whereby the spreading of partition or deck, the tiers of baskets are I the sides of the crate is prevented and doors kept completely separate and hence there is extending from end to end of said partition no danger or liability of the fruit being inand adapted to open outwardly to permit of 45 jured either in quality or appearance by the access to the lower portion of the crate; subcontact therewith of other baskets. stantially as described.

Where the carry log or bottom is not made JOHN O. MOORE. and sold as a portion of the crate, it is obvi- JOHN IRA JOHNSON.

50 will have to see that the stake irons are prop- GEORGE BERRY,

ous that the purchaser or user of the crate WVitnesses: erly positioned to receive the lower ends of J. D. BURNETT. 

